


look at where we are

by sopaloma



Series: all i ever knew (only you) [3]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, like a buttload
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-12-10 14:57:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11694072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sopaloma/pseuds/sopaloma
Summary: She places her hands on the small of her back as she surveys the room, taking it all in - the soft cream walls, the mint green accents, the shiny display refrigerators, the small wooden table in the corner.It was finally coming together - her own bakery.





	look at where we are

**Author's Note:**

> title from Hot Chip, "Look At Where We Are"
> 
> i would suggest listening to this song. it really fits this chapter and the series as a whole.
> 
> fyi, this is set three years after the end of "all i ever knew (only you)"

"Where do you want this?" Archie asks her as he carries a large shelving unit into the room with one hand as if it weighs nothing.

"By the back wall," Betty directs with a pointed finger. "Thanks, Arch."

It's the last of the furniture that needs to be brought in and now all they need to do now is arrange everything and polish it up.

She places her hands on the small of her back as she surveys the room, taking it all in - the soft cream walls, the mint green accents, the shiny display refrigerators, the small wooden table in the corner.

It was finally coming together - her own bakery.

She feels a hand on her shoulder and turns to smile at Jughead.

"Is that everything out of the van now?" he asks, his eyes scanning the area before he meets her gaze.

"I think so," she responds. "But we'll need to come back this weekend to get everything ready."  
  
"As long as there's no more refrigerators to move, I'm down," Archie says beside them. "Those were a bitch to lift."

Veronica laughs beside him. "Why have these arms if you can't help left heavy furniture?" she muses, running her hand along his bicep.

Archie rolls his eyes. "Easy for you to say. You just sat on the counter and barked out orders."

Veronica gives him a dirty look. "I got a manicure yesterday. There's no way I could have helped."

Betty chuckles at their bickering and walks over to Archie to kiss his cheek. "Thanks for all your help," she says sincerely. They'd all taken the afternoon off to help her, and although she wasn't really sure why Veronica had bothered, she was grateful all the same.

He grins. "No problem, Betts. Happy to help."

They part ways, Archie and Veronica leaving to catch a movie while she and Jughead did something much less exciting - grocery shopping. She closes the door and locks up, and she still feels a little thrill go through her when she gets to do that. She actually owns this place - it's _her's_.

"You feeling okay?" Jughead asks as they pull away and head towards the store.

"Yeah, I'm good," she replies as she runs her hand across the huge swell of her stomach, the threadbare fabric of Jughead's old t-shirt soft beneath her palm.

They didn't have the best timing.

After moving in with Jughead, she had continued with her business classes and eventually borrowed money from her parents to finally start setting up shop. She had hired an accountant and three employees to work both in store and in the kitchen, and spent months perfecting a menu and furnishing the bakery.

She was elated that her dreams were finally becoming a reality and then to make her mood even brighter, on the second anniversary of the most important holiday party of their lives, Jughead had asked her to marry him. She had said 'yes' instantly, as if there was any other way for her to answer.

They had started planning right away, hoping to have their wedding day just over six months later. If she'd ever needed more proof that Jughead was the person she was meant to be with, the fact that she had been engaged to another man for seven years without even setting a date but could barely wait half a year to marry him was a strong indication.

Jughead was still taking classes and also working at a local publishers, with a potential job lined up in New York City. They had moved out of their studio and into a two bedroom apartment. They were working towards their goals and living the lives they had always wanted for themselves.

And then their little surprise had come along.

So yes, their timing really, really sucked - they already had so much to do deal with, without the added pressure of a baby - but whenever Betty looked down at the globe her stomach had now become she couldn't find it in herself to regret the carelessness that had caused it.

She couldn't wait to meet their daughter.

 

 

 

Betty pushes the cart through the store, grabbing their usual purchases from the shelves as she goes. Jughead had disappeared - probably to find the sugary, children's cereals like he always does. He insists it's the most important thing on the grocery list.

She pauses in the aisle to peruse the many brands of hot sauce in front of her when she hears someone call out her name.

"Betty?"

She turns, shocked to find Chuck standing in front of her and a petite woman by his side.

"Chuck!" she responds, her surprise making her voice sound high-pitched and so unlike her. "Oh my god. It's been so long. How are you?"

"I'm good," he says with the slightest smile. "Just in town to see my family. This is Cassidy, my girlfriend." He gestures to the woman beside him.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Betty," she introduces herself, holding her hand out to shake.

"Likewise," she says responds with a wide smile and wow, she was gorgeous. "Oh, and congratulations!" she adds, gesturing to Betty's belly.

She smiles and says, "Thank you," but tugs self-consciously at the hem of Jughead's shirt. None of her shirts fit her at this stage and she refused to buy new ones when she only had a couple of weeks to go. But still, in this moment, she wished she was wearing something a little nicer.

"Hey, babe, do we already have Cap'n Crunch at home?"

Jughead comes up behind her, eyes on the cereal box in his hands.

"Juggie," she says to catch his attention and gives him a huge, false smile as she meets his gaze. "Look who I just ran into."

Jughead looks over her shoulder and his eyes widen at the sight of Chuck.

"Oh, shit." He quickly recovers and reaches out to shake his hand. "Hey. How's it going, man? It's been a while."

As soon as Jughead pulls his hand back, it wraps around her shoulders in a move that is either possessive or supportive. Maybe a little of both.

"It sure has," Chuck agrees as his eyes flicker between them. "A lot can happen in three years."

Betty feels nervous at the prospect of Chuck starting a scene in the middle of the store. She'd flown back to Florida only once after she broke things off and had last spoken to him on the phone over two years ago, when he had informed her her last box was being shipped to Riverdale. She had never told him about her relationship with Jughead; she hadn't wanted him to jump to conclusions or rub salt into his wounds.

"Look, Chuck-" she begins to defend herself but he cuts her off.

"It's okay, Betty," he says and he's smiling. "You don't need to explain. I always did wonder if there was more between you two, and in a weird way, it's nice to be proven right." He wraps his arms around Cassidy's waist. "It all worked out for the best anyway, don't you think?"

"Yeah, it did," she agrees, and her hand unconsciously moves up to rest over her stomach, feeling her child move beneath her skin.

"Well we should probably get going, but it was good seeing you," he says.

Jughead smiles. "You, too."

Cassidy gives them a little wave. "Bye, guys. It was nice to meet you."

Jughead exhales loudly as they watch them turn off into another aisle. "Well that went better than I thought it would."

"I know," Betty agrees, slightly dumbfounded. "He was so... nice. He was never that pleasant when we were together."

He shrugs. "Maybe his new girl has that effect on him - chills him out."

God, she hopes so. For Cassidy's sake more than anything. "Maybe."

Her drops the Cap'n Crunch into the cart. "I don't care if we have a box at home - you can never have enough cereal."

"Absolutely not true," she disagrees but she's laughing.

He wanders off again, now distracted by the barbecue sauce he's found. She grimaces as he picks up three bottles and she wonders why she ever brings him shopping with her.

 

 

 

As Jughead cooks dinner, Betty sits at the kitchen table, her laptop in front of her. She's typing away at The Spreadsheet, as Jughead calls it - a detailed Excel document that predicts their financial situation over the next five years.

When Betty had found out she was pregnant, happiness had been the overwhelming emotion, but she had also started to panic. The same day she took the test she began drawing up plans on The Spreadsheet, trying to determine how they were going to pay for her parents back for the loan and also afford a new baby.

Jughead made decent money at his job with the publishers, and her boss at Dunder Mifflin was flexible with her part time hours which meant she had some income too. But babies cost a lot of money and she wasn't sure that they'd be able to cope when their daughter finally arrived.

"You need to stop stressing, Betts," Jughead told her for what was probably the hundredth time during her pregnancy.

"I just don't know how we're going to ever pay my parents back," she says, frustration clear in her voice. "I don't want to be in debt to them forever and have it hanging over our heads."

"You're mom said you could pay it back in small increments and she's not going to demand money from you if it leaves you in a terrible situation," he says as he stirs the pot of sauce simmering on the cooker.

She knows he's right but she still feels anxious about the whole situation.

"What if the bakery doesn't work out, Jug?" she says quietly, the anxiety creeping into her tone. "What if it turns out to be a huge mistake and we've gotten ourselves into debt for nothing?"

Jughead turns the dial on the cooker to a low heat and takes a seat across from her. He takes one of her hand in his and catches her gaze. He looks so serious and determined that she can't look away.

"Betty," he begins, tone firm. "You are _not_ going to fail at this. You're baking is incredible and the bakery looks amazing and you want this too much to let it fall apart."

"But what if it's too much!" she argues and she's close to tears. "The baby and our rent and the car-"

He cuts her off. "It'll work itself out. Your parents will help us, I'll get a second job if I have to. Although that may not be necessary - if I get this job in the city, I'll get a significant pay rise."

She nods slowly, sniffling as she tries to keep the tears at bay. He cups her cheek in the palm of his hand and strokes the apple of her cheek with her thumb.

"Stop worrying," he demands, "and start celebrating. You're about to become a business owner _and_ a mom. You're accomplishing a lot and it's really fucking impressive."

She smiles at him and leans forward to kiss him. He meets her halfway, her stomach limiting her movements and preventing her from getting close enough.

"Alright, I'm going to finish dinner," he says and rises from his chair. "No more working on The Spreadsheet," he orders. "Go relax on the couch, I'll call you when dinners ready."

She closes the laptop shut and presses her hand against the table as she hauls herself up from the chair. She's so uncomfortable these days, the weight of the baby making it more difficult for her to get around.

As she passes him on her way out of the kitchen she presses her hand against the small of his back and kisses his shoulder.

"Love you, Juggie," she murmurs as she rests her chin on his shoulder.

He turns his head to kiss her temple. "Love you too, Betts."

 

 

 

Later in the night, Betty is stretched out across their bed in her pajamas - another of Jughead's shirts and a pair of shorts that she can, thankfully, still fit into. She has a bridal magazine in her hand, an old issue she bought when they first got engaged.

Jughead comes into their bedroom wearing just his boxers, scrubbing at his wet hair with a towel. He turns on the TV and flops down onto the bed. He shuffles down until his head is resting near her ever-expanding chest and his arm is wrapped around the bump. His palm is pressed against the side, massaging her skin as he moves it in slow circles. He does it every night and she finds the gesture both adorable and comforting.

"Still making plans?" he asks, before he lets out a quiet moan as her fingers sink into his hair and begin to massage his head.

"Just looking," she replies. "I want some ideas for when we can actually start planning."

"We'll do it after the baby is born, as soon as your ready," he promises

She sighs. "I know, but I still wish we were married before she arrives."

"I didn't know the whole 'out of wedlock' thing bothered you."

"It doesn't," she responds, now twisting a lock of his hair around her finger, "but you know - you're a Jones, and she'll be a Jones, but I'm still a Cooper. And her hospital tag won't even say Jones because they'll use my last name. It's dumb but I want us to be a real little family."

He shifts his head to look up at her, brows drawn together. "We will be a real family, no matter what it says on her tag."

"You know what I mean," she says but he clearly doesn't. "It just would have been nice for us all to be a Jones when she's born."

He settles back against her chest again and contemplates what she just said. He hadn't known her last name was such a big issue for her but he gets it - he didn't care how the baby was identified as long as she was happy and healthy, but the thought of her tag saying 'Baby Girl Jones' did make his heart squeeze a little in his chest.

"We should get married," he states before he can overthink it and pulls away from her to sit up right.

She frowns at him and lifts up her left hand. "Am I imagining this ring on my finger?"

He laughs softly and catches her hand in his, presses a kiss against her ring finger.

"Listen to me. We should go to the County Clerk's office tomorrow and get a licence. We can have a ceremony and make it official, then have a real wedding after the baby's born."

A slow smile spreads across her face. "You're serious?"

"Of course I'm serious."

She links her fingers around his neck and pulls him close to kiss him, still smiling against his mouth.

They head to the Clerk's office in the morning before Jughead goes to work.

 

 

 

A few days later they stand hand-in-hand in front of an officiant, Betty in the prettiest dress she could find that she still felt comfortable in, and Jughead in jeans and a button-up. She'd made him leave his beanie at home.

Veronica and Archie stand beside them as witnesses, still both a little shocked at the turn of events. They'd only told them about their plan the day before.

Even though it's nothing like the beautiful, meticulously planned wedding they'll have in the future, she still cries when he places the ring on her finger.

When they're declared husband and wife, she kisses him soft and slow, her arms wrapped around his neck and they break apart only when Archie clears his throat behind them.

Veronica takes a few pictures to commemorate the ceremony and then they head to Pop's to grab lunch.

It's a causal afternoon - the ceremony included - and Veronica won't shut up about how chill they're acting, as if they hadn't just committed themselves to each other in front of the state.

Betty just sips on her strawberry shake and rests her hand over the one Jughead places on her knee.

When they leave the diner, she and Jughead head to the bakery. They park up outside and Betty grins as she looks up at the new sign hanging over the storefront. It's mint green and there's a sheet of plastic covering up the lettering in the center.

Jughead props a ladder against the wall and climbs up to remove the plastic.

"Ready, Betts?" he shouts at his peels away the corner.

She folds her hand across her belly. "Ready!"

He slides it off in one smooth motion and tears spring to her eyes as soon as the lettering is revealed. The logo she had sketched on notebooks and envelopes and post-it's since she was sixteen years old is right in front of her. _Cooper's Cupcakes._

Jughead climbs down the ladder and wraps his arms around her. He places a kiss against the top of her head as a few more tears fall.

"It's the hormones, I swear," she says as she pulls out of the embrace, wiping beneath her eyes.

Chuckling, he wraps one arm around her shoulder and pulls her close to his side.

"You did it, babe. You really did it."

She grins and rises on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. "Couldn't have done it without you, Juggie."

 


End file.
